Method of and apparatus for forging car-wheels.



E. B. SLICK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FUR FOR-GING CAR WHEELS APPLICATION rum) 1;:IR.5, 201w 1,108,?860. Patented Aug. 195.4,

WITNESSES ENVENTOR E. B. SLICK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORGING CAR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED APB..5, 1910.

1 ,1 08,260. Patented Aug. 25, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES O E INVENTOR W16 $444M Q 654,6

E. B. SLICK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORGING CAR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 1910v 1,108,260. Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 WITNESSES mvzrwon WQ 7 @5544 4 fl g/ z EDWIN E. SLICK, OF PITTSBURQH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORGING CAReWHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,599.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN E. SLICK, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Method of and Apparatus for Forging Car-,Wheels, of which the following isa full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of rolled metal carwheels and to apparatus for manufacturing such wheels. Heretofore, it has been proposed to roll such wheels on a forming die by means of forming rollers in which the faces of the forming die are normal to the axes of rotation of the die and wheel, and extend outwardly from the axial center to the periphery of the blank. This results in the metal being displaced unevenly in difi'erent annular portion of the blank being formed and slippage between the surfaces of the wheel and of the die or forming rolls, causing rapid wear of the forming die surfaces.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel method of displacing the metal in from the axes forming'the wheels and apparatus havin improved means by which the metal in di ferent annular portions of the wheel blanks is reduced in cross section and is caused to flow at substantially the same surface speed.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of improved construction adapted for use in. roller forging the metal blanks into car wheels in accordance with my improved method.

To that end the invention consists in rolling the blank between forming faces which extend at an angle to the axis of the wheel, supporting die and rolls, in such manner that the blank is rolled and formed in the cavities of a frusto-conical forming die by mean of forming rolls.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is aplan partly in section, showingapparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. '2 is a side elevation ,partly in section of the same. Fig. 3 i a detail planshowing a portion of the apparatus, the rotary supporting die being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan showing the construction of the spindlesfor the forming rolls and the bearings in which they are carried, and the means employed for adjusting theforming rolls toward and away of the wheel blank and supdrawings,

centering pin 25is placed at the porting die. Fig. 5 is a sectional side eleva tion on the line V-V of Fig. 4, showing the manner in which the blank is held in position on the forming die during the forming operation. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing reciprocating dies used in flattening or bending the wheels after the completion of the forging operation.

In the drawings, 2 designates a recessed supporting die on which the blanks are supported while being forged. The die 2 is re movably secured to the flange 3 of the shaft or spindle 4. The shaft 4 is carried in a roller bearing 5 and roller thrust bearing 6 on the base plate 7 of the machine, the end of this shaft being provided with a wabbler 7 to "which a driving s indle is connected by a coupling box (not s own) and through which the die 2 is rotated. The coupling box and spindle construction being old and well known need not be further described. Also mounted upon the base plate 7 is a reciproeating carrier 8 which. is arranged to be moved toward the forming die 2 by means of the plunger 9 mounted in the hydraulic cylinder 10. The pull back cylinder 11 in which the plunger 12 is mounted is connected by means of the rods 13 with the carrier 8 on the base plate 7 of the apparatus and is mounted so as to be carried by the support 14 when the carrier 8 is moved toward and away from the forming die 2.

Rota'tably mounted in the carrier 8 is a plunger or shaft 15 forming a stop, the outer end of which extends into proximity to the face of the die 2 for a purpose described hereinafter. I

Mounted upon the carrier 8 in roller thrust bearings 17 and'18, are the wheel forming rolls 19 and 20. The roll 19 with its bearin 17 is arranged to be adjusted axially toward" and away from the axis of the forming die 2 by means of the adjustingscrew 21, the roll being held in its adjusted position by, means of the lock nut 22. The roll 20 with; its bearing 18 is adjusted toward and away from the axis of the forming die 2 in a similar manner by means of the adjusting screw 23, the screw being held in its adjusted positions by the lock nut 24. As shown in the the forging or forming rolls 19 and 20 are arranged to rotate by frictional contact with the blank being formed.

The forming die 2 is preferably provided .110

with an axially central openin in which a beginningof at l the forging operation, to maintain the'blank in its centered position during such forging operation.

In the operation of the apparatus in carrying out my improved'method, the blank A is placed in position on the centering pin 25 as is best shown in Fig. 3. The die 2 is then rotated by any suitable type of motor, which is connected to the die through the wabbler on the end of the shaft 4.

and the carrier 8 is advanced so that the forming roll 19 is brought into engagement with and begins the forging operation of the blank A. As the carrier 8 and the forming rolls l9 and 20 are farther advanced toward the die tool, the blank is gradually shaped and caused to conform to the contour of the cavities in the recessed die 2, the diameter of the blank being increased by this operation. When-the blank has been reduced in thickness to the desired extent, the forming roll 20 comes into engagement with the periphery of the blank and, together with the co-acting faces of the supporting die 2, forms the flange and tread portions of the wheel to the desired contour. The metal in the center of the blank, as shown in Fig. 3, is displaced'to form the hub and the adjacent portion of the .web, the opening through the blank be practically complete at the end of the forging operation, and in the condition shown in Fig. 5. Either the adjacent ends of the stop 15 and the pin 25 are in engagement, or possibly a thin fin of metal will remain between the adjacent ends of the pin 25 and stop 15. The tendency of the forming rolls is to pull the metal away from the axial center of the blank during the forging operations. As the carrier 8 is moved toward the die 2 the end of the stop 15 comes into engagement with the opposite face of the blank 8 and prevents the metal in the hub portion of the wheel blank being displaced outwardly beyond the desired amount. When the carrier 8 is moved into the position with reference to the die 2 as shown in Fig. 4, and the wheel forming operation has been completed, the fluid pressure on the'cylinder 10 is then shut off and fluid pressure applied to the pull-back cylinder 11, which operation causes the carrier 8 to retract and move away from the die 2. The wheel so formed is then removed from the die 2 and a new blank is put in position, when the above de-.

scribed operations are repeated.

It will be noted that the surface of the forming die is substantially conical and that the forming roll 19 is also conical. By means of this construction the surface speed in any transverse plane on the conical forming rolls is substantially the same as the intersecting portion of the conical face on the supporting roll. This arrangement of the cooperating conical faces causes a umform Fluid pressureis then admited to the hydraulic cylinder 10 i out departing surface speed'ofthe die, blank and forming roll during the forging operation, and substantially eliminates slippage between the faces of' the formi roll or die and the blank. This feature is of very great importance,-such slip age being the reason for the failure of a arge number of proposed methods of roller forging car wheels.

The wheel as completed in the forging operation maybe formed with the hub in the desired relation axially withthe flange and tread portions. It also may not be formed with the hub in the desired relation axially with the flange and tread portions and in "such cases the forged wheels, after being removed from the die 2 are placed between reciprocating formi dies 26 and 27, as is shown in Fig. 6 an the wheel is bent or flattened so as to bring the faces of the different portions of the Wheel into the desired axial relation with one another. After this operation is completed the wheel is bored to a wheel fit and when found necessary or desirable its flange and tread may be turned to the desired diameter.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The apparatus is simple and by its use the amount of slippage between the co-acting forming faces and the blank is reduced to a minimum.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made withfrom my invention as defined in the claims.

I- claim 1. The method of forming metal consisting in subjecting a metal blank to forging pressure between the co-acting faces of a supporting die and a rotating forming roll and applying the forging pressure to at least part of said blank at an oblique angle to the axes of said die and roll; substantially as described.

2. The method of forming metal consisting in subjecting a metal blank to forging pressure between the co-acting faces of a supporting die and a rotating forming roll, applying the forging pressure to at least part of said blank at an oblique angle to the axes of said die and roll and then bending the forged blank to the desired cross sectional contour; substantially as described.

3. The method of forming metal consisting in subjecting a metal blank to forging pressure between the co-acting faces of a rotating supporting die and a rotating forming roll and applying the forging pressure to at least part of said blank at an oblique angle to the axes of said die and roll; substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for forging comprising a ro tary supporting die, a forming roll co-act-- ing therewith in forgin the metal, means for rotating said die an means for causing a relative approachfof the forming faces of part of. the coeacting forming faces of-said die. and roll being inclined respectively to the axes thereof, in e'ansfor causing a relative rotary movement of the die and roll and meansfoncausing a relative approach of theforming faces of said die and roll; substantially as described.

6;, Apparatus for forging metal comprising a rotary supporting die, a formin roll,

the co-acting forming faces of said die and roll beingi-nclined respectively to the axes thereof, means for positively rotating said die, means for causing a relative approach of the forming faces on said die and roll, .andvmeans for adjusting said'formin'g roll axially; substantially as described. v 7. Apparatus for forging metal comprising a rotary supporting die, a forming roll', the co-acting formingfaces of said die and roll being inclinedrespectively to the axes thereof, means for positivel rotating said die, means for causing a re ative approech of the .forming faces on said die and roll, means for adjustingsaid forming roll, axially and a. stop arranged-to prevent axial movement of the blank on the die substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set 35 my hand.

EDWIN E. SLICK. Witnemes:

G. W. NEILL, 

